Mercedes-Benz Citan Review 2024

If your priorities are comfort, lots of features and a comfortable drive, mostly around town rather than covering long distances, then the Mercedes Citan could be right up your street. However, if maximum space and payload are particularly important to you then there are other vans available that fit the bill, and the lack of extra engine choices means it’s not as well suited to faster motorway driving. The premium price of the Mercedes could be a consideration too, as there are more affordable alternatives. But that said, the Citan is well-equipped in terms of features, and the build quality reflects the extra cash, too.

The Mercedes Citan is available as an L1 or L2 panel van and currently has only one diesel engine, which is a labelled the 110 CDI and has 95PS, mated to a six-speed manual gearbox or a seven-speed automatic. Other engines are available overseas but not in the UK at the time of writing.

Your choices in trim are between the entry-level Progressive model or the Premium. Equipment levels are fairly similar between the two – the Premium’s extras are mainly cosmetic, with body-coloured bumpers, alloy wheels and LED headlights. Whether that’s worth the extra cash (just under £2,000 when new) depends on how you’ll use the van.

Those considering the Mercedes-Benz Citan will likely want to consider its close rivals. These include the Ford Transit Connect and the Volkswagen Caddy Cargo, which both offer larger load spaces and higher payload capacities. There’s also the Stellantis range of small vans – the Citroen Berlingo, Peugeot Partner and Vauxhall Combo Cargo – all of which are based on the same platform, and again offer more space. None look or feel as premium as the Citan, however.

Build quality and the material finish in the Citan is very good for a van, although if you’ve experienced the level of quality in Mercedes cars, you’ll find the plastics a few steps harder than in something like an A-Class. It is a working vehicle, after all. But while there’s more of a wipe-clean flavour to the materials, they don’t feel cheap – for this type of vehicle, the Citan feels right at the classy end.

Like Mercedes cars, the Mercedes-Benz Citan comes with the MBUX infotainment system, which is one of the best on the market. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both included for smartphone connectivity, DAB radio is built-in and wireless device charging is available as an option. A reversing camera is standard as well, as are realr parking sensors. 

About the only downside of the system is that the icons on the fairly small screen can be tricky to touch on the move. However, there are some shortcut buttons under the screen to jump between different features.

The cabin of the Mercedes Citan is very well thought out, with lots of spaces and places for storing odds and ends. There’s a pair of cup holders between the seats and a small storage tray ahead of that – space freed up by the mounting of the gear lever in the middle of the dashboard. Another large space can be found under the central armrest and there’s a big shelf in the ceiling in which to keep all manner of larger items. The door bins are easily large enough for a drinks bottle and there’s a reasonable glove box, too.

In the back, you’ve got 2.9 cubic metres of space in the L1 model and 3.6 cubic metres in the L2. That’s the same as in the SWB and LWB Ford Transit Connects, but the standard Volkswagen Caddy Cargo will give you 3.1 cubic metres. Asymmetric rear double doors and a sliding door on the left are standard, with a right-hand sliding door optional. Unlike some rivals, there’s no hatch in the bulkhead to load through longer items. That means a maximum load length of 1806mm in the L1 and 2170mm in the L2.

Payloads vary slightly by trim, but the L1 will manage up to 657kg and the L2 up to 661kg. To compare to a couple of rivals, the Caddy Cargo and Transit Connect can manage up to 718kg, while the likes of the Citroen Berlingo will haul up to 950kg.

The Citan’s sole engine option is badged as the 110 CDI, which has 95PS and comes with a six-speed manual gearbox or a seven-speed automatic. Depending on the trim, gearbox and size of body, you’ll get up to 53.3mpg according to official figures. CO2 emissions are between 140 and 144g/km.

The electric e-Citan has extra power and a battery range of up to 176 miles.

While the diesel engine can be gruff when revved hard, as a general rule the Citan is well-refined, with minimal road and wind noise thanks to its solid build and sound insulation.

Safety organisation Euro NCAP tested the Citan Tourer, which is the passenger version of the Citan panel van, in 2022, and gave it the maximum five-star rating. The panel van comes with an impressive array of safety features as standard, including six airbags, automatic emergency braking, a blind-spot warning system and adaptive cruise control. It’s a very decent list of systems for this type of vehicle. 

The latest Mercedes Citan is too new for us to have any meaningful reliability data. Generally, however, Mercedes vans have a good reputation for reliability, so our hopes are high that the Citan will continue that.

Depending on the model, the Mercedes Citan sits between insurance groups 27 and 31 of 50, which is slightly higher than the Renault Kangoo but not massively so.

As a light goods vehicle, the Mercedes Citan is subject to the standard flat rate of Vehicle Excise Duty (VED), which is currently £335 a year.

The latest Mercedes Citan comes in two trims: Progressive and Premium. The entry-level Progressive model comes well-equipped with air-conditioning, LED interior lighting and the MBUX infotainment system including DAB, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Upgrade to the Premium model and you’ll get a slicker look with body-coloured bumpers and metallic paint, alloy wheels and chrome and black interior detailing for a more luxurious feel.